LONG TERM RIDES
The latest on our team bikes – where we’ve ridden, what we’ve changed on them and what we’ve broken this month!
Our art editor wages war on winter!
Embracing the wet weather has been easier than I thought this autumn. Weirdly, I’ve been looking forward to some shitty conditions, as much to mix up my riding as to keep me on my toes on my technical local trails, which aren’t kind to ditherers! Of course, good weatherproof kit helps, as does the knowledge that your bike is up to the job.
Unusually for me, I haven’t changed anything on the Reactor all year, except for a carbon bar upgrade. I’ve stayed with the original Maxxis rubber – an Assegai up front and a Minion DHR II out back, which have proven to be an awesome combination. Spinning on 29in wheels, they’ve made the rooty sections that are so washed-out right now a lot more manageable in the wet. I’ve swapped back to the excellent Crud XL Fender for maximum protection from the muck now that the season’s turned, and feel like I’m in the gang now that the Santa Cruz Syndicate run them!
Every time I sling a leg over the Reactor it feels like a fit-and-forget bike. I’ve never had to get used to anything, and the 130mm of rear travel is perfect for hitting the trails at warp speed (well, not in the wet!). I’ve never felt under-gunned, but that could be because this year’s riding has mostly been local, with a few sojourns to South Wales and the Forest of Dean – no big adventures this year, boo hoo! I also stop to admire the Reactor... a lot! It’s damn pretty and I take too many photos of it. Its burly silhouette belies its milemunching capabilities, which isn’t really it’s MO, but it works really well for most of my riding.
I’ve had zero problems with the SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain and haven’t needed to retune the gears once. Even my dropper has (mostly) behaved. So, what am I saying? Well I love this bike, I really do. It complements my riding style, and in some ways has even redefined it. And although we’ve all been slightly more confined in terms of the places we can ride this year, I’ve really enjoyed exploring and riding further locally.
Negatives? There have to be some, right? Well, the flip-chip geometry adjustment is useful, but to really get the most from it, I feel like I’d need to adjust it ahead of each ride, which is a faff I can’t be bothered with. A tool-free solution would be amazing. And that really is it. It’s a capable bike at a good price and one I’d happily part with cash for, but then have you seen the 2021 models…? www.nukeproof.com